


The Last Goodbye

by laurfinde



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Bilbo Baggins Feels, Ficlet, Gen, M/M, Song Lyrics, Song fic, Tumblr Fic, poetic use of grammar and punctuation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-18 06:59:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4696610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurfinde/pseuds/laurfinde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo writes <i>the Last Goodbye</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Last Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to my tumblr [here](http://caffeineheroes.tumblr.com/post/127122207159/bilbo-writing-night-is-now-falling-as-he-makes).

Bilbo writing _night is now falling_ as he makes camp with Gandalf on the hills between Mirkwood and the ruins of Laketown. _the road is now calling_ scratched on a sheaf of parchment ~~a gift from Ori~~ as they re-pack their bags. 

In the beginning all he can remember is the battle. Last words hitched with pain, nearly lost on the wind. Snowflakes dusting eyelashes that will never open again. Sometimes he still feels like he is sitting on that rock. unable to do anything but stare. blankly into the distance. numb. fading. like the sunset behind him…

Later he remembers. Remembers everything: ~~the good, the bad~~ _many places, many sorrows._ and how can he regret the best thing that ever happened to him? he can’t. _and i won’t forget._

At first, he’s leaving just to leave. _i must away. ~~because you’re not here to make me stay.~~_ home is the destination, but after that he cannot tell. how can he go back to his old life after coming all this way? he can’t. 

but the road is still calling. and as he travels backward along the paths of mirkwood, over misty mountains, to rivendell he remembers all who took the road with him. he shares his stories with gandalf and the elves in the hall of fire. but other memories he holds to himself. 

gandalf and bilbo rest under a tree in the trollshaws. they reach the shire. ahead lies bag end. and bilbo recalls his armchair and his books before finally heading overhill. _~~with a broken heart~~ with your blessing i will go._

…

Bilbo finishes it. The words are something he has been working on since he left Erebor. He had always meant to take it there himself. To place it on Thorin’s tomb. But now he knows his old legs cannot take him where his young heart never would.

Gloin approaches, his once fiery beard white like Balin’s forked one. Bilbo’s writing will never make it to the dead. no words could ease the pain of _his_ passing. But maybe they can comfort the living. 

_~~I say this last goodbye~~ _

I bid you all a very fond farewell.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [ acornshield's](http://acornshield.co.vu/) _i see fire_ version [[here].](http://acornshield.co.vu/post/125568114160/consider-bilbo-writing-i-see-fire-as-laketown)
> 
> If you want to say hi on tumblr, I'm [caffeineheroes.](http://caffeineheroes.tumblr.com) Or if you just want more of my sad Bilbo feels, you can find it on my art tumblr, [ laurfinde.](http://laurfinde.tumblr.com)


End file.
